Convertible-automobile-body construction



L. BRESIN.

CONVERTIBLE AUTOMOBILE BODY CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-1211919- Patented Aug. 3, 1920 hm mm. L M

LOUIS BRESIN, OF NEM YORK, N. 35., ASSIGNOR TO ADAMS-VJILLTAMS MANUFAC- TUBING CORPORATION", OF NEW YORK,

1v. Y., A CORPORATION or new YORK.

CONVERTIBLE-AUTOIEOBILE-BODY' CONSTRUCTION;

.Specification of Application filed August '12, 1.919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Louis B'RESIN, .a citizen of Russia, and resident of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible-Automobile-Body Constructions, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention is primarily intended for use in motor vehicles so constructed thatby the insertion or removal of transparent panels between the upper edge of the body and the lower edge of the top, the vehicle may be converted into either a closed or an open car. In the prior patents to P. A. Schwab 1,323,790 and 1,323,791 issued December 2nd, l919, there are illustrated constructions for this purpose in which each panel has a rigid metal frame for supporting the glass body portion and presents depending lugs adapted to enter sockets in the upper edge of the vehicle body wall and be rigidly clamped in place by set screws. My present invention is an improvement on constructions of this general type and relates particularly to'the means for detachably securing the panels in place.

One object of my present invention is to avoid the use of set screws and secure the clamping by the action of wedges. A further object is to clamp the panel at a plurality of points bythe action of a single operating member. A further object is to provide a clamp operating member of such a character that it may be used not only for operating the panel clamp but also as a pull grip in swinging the vehicle door to closed position. Although my invention is particularly applicable for use on the movable wall section of the vehicle body which serves as a door, it may also bensed on the stationary wall. sections behind, in front, or between the doors. It may also be incorporated in the movable or stationary wall sections at the time the vehicle body is built or may be constructed as a separate article of manufacture adapted to be secured to the upper edge of the wall section of a'vehicle body already completed and in use. Merely as an example or as one embodiment of my invention, 1 have illustrated and will describe one specific form which my invention may assume.

Letters Patent. Patented Au". 3, 1920.

Serial No. 316,939.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a vehicle body showing the door open.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the clamping mechanism, said section being taken on the pl aneindicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 3 and on a very much larger scale than F 1. i

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one lug socket member.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one end of the casing or molding strip member, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one element of the clamp operating means.

In Fig. 1, I have illustrated my invention as applied both to the stationary wall section 10 and to the movable wall section or door '11 of a vehicle body. Each wall section is provided with a removable panel including a rigid frame 12 supporting a glass or other transparent body portion 13. The frame of each panel has a pair of depending lugs in the plane of the frame and concealed from view in Fig. 1. These lugs 14 shown in Figs. *2 and 8 are adapted to enter sockets 15 in members 16 rigidly secured to or inserted within the upper edge of the vehicle body wall section. These members 16 are shown in the form of cast metal blocks rigidly secured in position in any suitable manner, as for instance, by screwsl'i. Each lug socket 15 opens at one side lnto a tapered or wedge-shaped socket 18, which latter is .open at its larger or base end. The two engage with the lateral surface of the lug 14 and effectively hold the latter and the panel in position. As shown, each clamping member 19 has a substantially wedge-shaped terminal portion entering the clamp socket and has an upwardly extending flange 20 presenting a greater surface of contact for engagement with the lug than is presented by the body portion of the wedge, which latter may be comparatively thin.

Intermediate of the ends of the vehicle wall section, I provide an operating mechanism for simultaneously moving the clamping members 19 into or out of operative position. This includes a laterally movable member 21 which, by reason of its lateral movement, effects such a movement of the clamping members as will bring them to or from clamping position. In the specific form shown, this laterally movable member 21 has a pair of converging diagonal grooves 22 in the opposite ends thereof and rece1ving diagonal flanges 23 on the adjacent ends of the clamping members. For more effectively adapting the device for installation on vehicle body wall sections of different widths, each clamping member is preferably made of two adjustably connected sections. As shown, one section for instance that entering the clamp socket may have an upturned flange 24; through which extends a threaded end 25 of the other section and a pair of lock nuts 26 on this threaded portion may engage with opposite sides of the flange 24 and hold the two sections of the clamping member against lateral movement. By reason of the diagonal slots 22 and the co-acting flanges 23, the lateral movement of the member 21 tends to draw the clamping members toward each other to release the panel lugs 14 or spread them apart to grip said lugs. The nuts 26 may be adjusted so as to cause the two clamping members to engage or release simultaneously and to permit the lug socket members 16 to be secured at varying distances apart.

To guide the operating ends of the clamps, the latter may be provided with slots 27 at an angle to the plane of the lugs and receiving pins 28 integral with or secured to the members 16. By reason of the guiding action of these slots and pins, the clamping members will come to operative position independently of the engagement of the clamping members with the rear converging walls of the clamp sockets, and for that reason, it is not essential that said walls be converging as illustrated or that the clamping members themselves be tapered. With such tapered walls, the pins and slots may in some constructions be omitted.

For effectively guiding the adjacent ends of the two clamping members and the operating block 21, I preferably secure to the vehicle wall section a member 29 having openings in the opposite ends thereof to re ceive the said clamping members and prevent the lateral movement of these ends. Sufiicient lost motion should be permitted so that the clamping ends of the members may have the desired lateral movement into and out of engagement with the panel lugs.

For operating the member 29, any suitable form of mechanism may be provided. For

instance, I may employ a screw 30 having is preferably detachable from the screw member and the outer end of the latter does not project beyond the outer surface of the wall 32. As shown, the handle 33 has a square inner end 34 delivering in a socket in the screw member and held therein by a screw 35. The rotation of the handle will result in a rotation of the screw and a corresponding lateral movement of the member 21.

When the device is applied to a vehicle body wall previously completed, the mem bers 16 and 29 may be secured directly to the upper surface of the body wall with flush with the ends of the body wall section.

1 The member 29 is secured midway therebetween and a casing member applied to cover the three members. This casing member is illustrated as a molding strip 36 formed of sheet metal with downwardly and inwardly curving side walls, and adapted to slide endwise over the three members 16, 16 and 29. The molding strip has apertures 37 which will come into registry with the lug sockets 15 of the members 16 and also has an aperture which will come into registry with the end of the screw 30. The handle member 33 may be inserted and secured to the screw 30 by the screw 35 after the molding strip has been slid lengthwise into position and the handle itself will serve to prevent the endwise movement or removal of the molding strip. When it is desired to inspect, adjust, repair, or remove any of the operating parts, it is merely necessary to take off the handle 33 and slide off the molding strip and all of the parts will be exposed to view. The molding strip and the end blocks 16 may be of any desired cross sectional form to give the vehicle body an ornamental or attractive appearance and may and preferably does have an upstanding pad or flange 38 which them together and positively release the lugs when moved in the opposite direction.

As above indicated, I do not desire to be limited to the specific construction illustrated, as various changes may be made within the scope of my invention as defined in :the appended claims. The panels themselves maybe of any desired construction and may besecured to a folding or rigid top. A suitable form of top is that illustrated in my prior Patent 1,294,038 issued February 11, 1919.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A vehicle body wall section, having a plurality of lug sockets, a removable panel having lugs adapted to enter said sockets, and an operating member for simultaneously securing all of said lugs in their respective sockets. 1

2. A vehicle body wall section, having a pair of lug sockets, a panel having a pair of depending lugs adapted to enter said sockets, a pair of clamping members for engagement with said lugs, and means for operating said clamping members simultaneously.

A vehicle body wall section, having a pair of lug sockets, a panel having a pair of depending lugs adapted to enter said sockets, a pair of clamping members for engage- 'ment with said lugs, and a single operating member for controlling the movement of both of said clamping members.

4. In combination, a vehicle door with a removable panel, a plurality of clamping members for securing said panel to said door, and a handle member for operating said clamping members and serving as a pull handle for said door.

5. In combination, a vehicle body wall,

having a pair of members securedthereto and presenting lug sockets, a removable panel having lugs adapted to enter said sockets, separate wedges for clamping engagement with each of said lugs, and means for operating said wedges simultaneously.

6. A vehicle body section, having a pair of lug sockets, adapted to receive lugs of a removable panel, a pair of clamping members mounted for longitudinal and lateral movement in respect to said sockets, and a single operating member for said clamping members.

7 A vehicle body wall, having a member secured thereto, and presenting a lug receiving socket open at the top and at one side, and adapted to receive a panel lug through the open top, and a clamping member mounted for longitudinal and lateral movement into engagement with the side of the lug.

8. A vehicle body wall, having a member secured thereto, and presenting a lug receiving socket open at t e top and at one side -ment at each of said sockets upon the lateral movement of said second mentioned member.

10. A vehicle body wall, having a pair of lug receiving sockets, a pair or": longitudi- .nally movable clamping members, and a laterally movable operating member engaging with both of said clamping members for operating them. simultaneously in opposite directions.

11. A vehicle body wall, having a pair of lug receiving sockets, :a pair of clamping 'members extending longitudinally of said wall and having laterally movable operating ends adjacent to said sockets, and a member intermediate of said sockets for simultaneously operating said clamping members.

12. A vehicle body wall, having a pair of lug receiving sockets, a pair of clamping members extending longitudinally of said wall and having laterally movable operating ends adjacent to said sockets, and a laterally movable member intermediate of said sockets for simultaneously operating said clamping members.

13. A vehicle body wall, having a pair of members, each presenting a lug receiving socket, a pair of clamping members extending lengthwise of said wall and of variable length, and a rotatable handle for simultaneously operating said clamping members.

14:. In combination, a vehicle body wall section having a pair of members secured to the upper edge thereof adjacent to the opposite ends of said section, and each presenting a lug receiving socket, a pair of wedge members cooperating with said sockets to clamp the panel lugs therein, said wedge members having spaced ends presenting converging flanges, and a laterally movable member engaging with said fianges for spreading said wedges apart or drawing them together upon the lateral movement of said last mentioned member.

15. A vehicle body wall, having a pair of members secured thereto and presenting lug receiving sockets and clamp receiving sockets, a third member disposed intermedi ate of said first mentioned members, clamping members extending from said third member into said clamping sockets, and a laterally movable member carried by said third member for operating both of said clamping members.

16. A vehicle body wall, having a pair of members secured thereto and presenting lug receiving sockets and clamp receiving sockets, a third member disposed intermediate of said first mentioned members, clamping members extending from said third member into said clamping sockets, a laterally movable member carried by said third member for operating both of said clamping members, and a removable casing covering said three first mentioned members.

17. A vehicle body wall, having a pair of members secured thereto and presenting lug receiving sockets and clamp receiving sockets, a third member disposed intermediate of said first mentioned members, clamping members extending from said third member into said clamping sockets, a laterally movable member carried by said third member for operating both of said clamping members, a removable casing covering said three first mentioned members, and an operating handle for moving said laterally movable member and normally preventing the removal of said casing.

18. In combination, a vehicle door, a removable panel, a pair of clamps carried by movable wedges for engagement with said panel to clamp the latter to said wall, and

means for simultaneously moving said wedges to operative or inoperative position.

20. In combination, a vehicle body wall, a removable panel, a pair of longitudinally movable wedges for engagement with said panel to clamp the latter to said wall, and means for simultaneously moving said wedges to operative or inoperative position, said means including a rotatable handle intermediate of the vertical edges of said wall.

Signed at city of New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 8 day of Aug. A. D. 1919.

LOUIS BRESIN 

